Carteret County Native American family seeks justice amid Bridge View confrontation

BEAUFORT, N.C. (WITN) - Outside the Carteret County courthouse a civil rights activist and Native American family involved with last year’s archeological discovery dispute is speaking out for justice after a confrontation turned court case is set for Wednesday morning.

In 2024, former Onslow County deputy James De La O Jr was charged with communicating threats, assaulting a woman, and false police report during a dispute at the Native American archaeological discovery at the Bridge View neighborhood in Cedar Point.

An arrest warrant obtained by WITN at the time revealed that De La O, a resident of Bridge View assaulted a woman by body slamming her to the ground and verbally threatening two people after the woman and others were present to pay respect to the archeological site.

Now she’s speaking out and wants justice for not only herself but also other Native Americans and the site.

“I’ve already had two back surgeries, I have slip disks in my neck, I am so screwed right now. I can’t brush my hair with my left hand because of what this man did to me,” says alleged assault victim Jane Jacobs.

“I hope that there’s a way that we can take the rest of that land and that the land gets left alone because it is the most sacred site in the state for us [Native Americans] and for y’all. That’s a huge part of history that shouldn’t be built over because somebody wants a fancy house on the water,” says Jacobs.

Early Tuesday morning, civil rights activist John Barnett with True Healing Under God joined Jacobs and her uncle outside the Carteret County courthouse in a “court patrol” calling for the district attorney to upgrade De La O’s charges to the fullest for Wednesday’s court hearing and bring more awareness to discrimination against Native Americans that Jacobs and her family say they faced.

“I realized in America that not only do blacks in this country face racism but Hispanics face racism, and now I see that Indians. I drove here for five hours to fight for them,” says Barnett.

Jacob’s uncle recalls what he felt when he witnessed his niece thrown to the ground.

“It made a lasting effect and to who I say that, because there are so many good people in this country. There really is but you know, that day, we witnessed hatred first and foremost,” says Bob Lowery.

WITN reached out to Scott Thomas, the District Attorney overseeing the court case but have not received a response as of now as well as De La O’s lawyer but was told that he and De La O are prepared to give their side of the story in court and have no further comments.

The court hearing will be at the Carteret County Courthouse Wednesday at 8:30 am.